Articulated support for platforms



April 6, 1954 o. HUKARI ARTICULATED SUPPORT FOR PLATFORMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 28, 1949 INVENTOR. ORMAND HUKARI ATTORNEY April 6, 1954 o. HUKARI ARTICULATED SUPPORT FOR PLATFORMS Filed July 28, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //IIIIIIII//IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII.

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IIT'III'IIIIIIIIIIII/IIII INVENTOR. ORMAND HUKARI BY AT TO RNEY Patented Apr. 6, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to an articulated support for platforms for workmen and is particularly adapted for utilization in the pruning of trees in orchards and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an articulated support for platforms for A further object of the invention is to operate the articulated support for platforms by power means, preferably hydraulic, having the control levers located adjacent the platform so that the In the operation of my new and improved articulated support for platforms for workmen, the same can be moved between the trees in an orchard upon the wheeled base so that the workmen on the platform can position the platform relative to the individual trees to any vertical height, as well as manipulating the platform around the tree to the point from where he wishes to work.

Due to the fact that the boom is made up of. more than one section he can position his platform readily on the opposite side of the tree, as well as the adjacent side of the tree.

These and other objects will be apparent in the drawings, specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my new and improved articulated support for platforms for workmen.

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view, taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1 illustrating the mechanism for actuating one of the booms relative to its horizontal position.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional detail, taken of one of the universal gear elements of the mechanism shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through one of the hydraulically operated cylinders for manipulating the booms.

ing the booms, taken on line 6-6 of Figure 9. Figure 7 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the hydraulic control valve for controlling the radial movement of the platform, taken on line 1-1 of Figure 9.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of the link controls for operating the valves illustrated in Figure 7, the same taken on line 88 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatical layout of the hydraulic cylinders, hydraulic pump and reservoir, including the fluid control valves.

Figure 10 is a perspective detail of the connection between the primary and. secondary boom.

Referring more specifically to the drawings:

My new and improved articulated support for Extending upwardly from the base i is a rigidly mounted vertical pedestal 5 braced to the I 0 is mounted to the said bracket. The upper beam is pivotally mounted at H to the bracket 1 and the lower beam I0 is pivotally mounted to the bracket 1 at I2.

A vertical shaft I3 is fixedly secured to the brackets l5, which in turn are pivotally connected to the beams 9 and Ill at M and M; A secondary boom 16 comprises upper and lower beams l1 and [8, said beams being pivotally connected to the brackets l9 and 20, which in turn are rotatably mounted to the vertical shaft I 3, the said beams having their opposite ends pivotally connected to the vertical shaft 2| at 22.

rams so that when they are raised and lowered the vertical shafts l3 and 2| will remain in a vertical position.

The primary boom 8 is raised and lowered by the hydraulic cylinder 23, having its lower end 24 pivotally connected to the cross shaft IZA and the boom 8. The application of fluid will be described more fully later on in this specification.

The secondary boom I 6 is similarly raised and lowered by the hydraulic cylinder 39 and its piston rod 3|. Both of the booms 8 and I6 are rotated circumferentially around the pedestal on the base frame I by the action of the double acting hydraulic cylinder 32, Figure 2, which is pivotally mounted to the frame base at 33, and has its piston rod 34 pivotally connected to the crank 35 at 36. The crank 35 forms part of the bracket 1. The operation of this cylinder will be described later on.

The secondary boom I6 is rotated about the vertical shaft 13 by the hydraulic cylinders 31. The cylinders 31 are pivotally connected to the vertical shaft 2| at HA and have their piston rods 31A connected to the chain 40 at 40A, referring to Figures 1 and 3. .The chain-401s trained about the ring gear 4|. The ringgear 4| is pivotally connected to the ring 43 by way of the pins 44, referring to Figure. The-ring43 in turn is pivotally connected to the hub 45 by way of the pins 46, and thesaid hub is keyed to the vertical shaft |3.

When the piston'rods 31A-are moved by hydraulic-means they rotate the chain 40 about the idler sprocket 42, which is journalled to the bracket 41 mounted between the cylinders 31. At the same time the saidchain rotates about the sprocket-4|,which'is held stationary by -the vertical shaft l3, through the universal arrangement illustrated in Figure 4. This causes the secondary boom -|6 to be revolved about the vertical pivot shaft l3, referring particularly to Figure -2. This action will be further described later Secured-to the underside of the platform 5| is a hydraulic control valve 53, which I will now describe in connection with the operation of my articulated platform for workmen. Referring to Figures '6, '1 and 9, the raising and lowering of the booms 8 and It is accomplished as stated above by the'single acting hydraulic cylinders 23 and 30. Thesecylinders are'operated-from the fluid control valve indicated in Figure 6. This valve is operated by the foot pedal 54. The valve receiveshydraulic fluid under pressure through the pipe line 55 which connects the hydraulic pump 56 to the port51, within the valve body.

'The flow of fluid through the valve is controlled by the plunger 58, whichis cut away at 59. This plunger is held in the position illustrated inFigureB by the action'of the centering springs 50. We will now assume we are going to raise either the boom 8 or the boom l6. There would be two valves such as the one illustrated in Fig- :ure 6, one for each cylinder and one foot control lever 54 for each cylinder, both identical.

-We-willassume that the pedal 54A is placed down, this will move the plunger 58 in the 'direction=of the arrow, uncovering the port 51 and -the portS This will deliver hydraulic fluid underpressure through the flexible hose 21 into the piston rod .25 and the cylinder 23 raising the boom 8. When the [foot is removed from the ,pedal 54A the plunger 58 will return to the ,position illustrated, stopping .the flow of fluid in either direction through the hose 21, thereby holding themiston 29 of the cylinder 23 in locked position, supporting the boom 8.

When, it .is desired to lower the boom 8 the 1pedal'54l3 will be pressed moving the plunger 58 in the opposite direction of the arrow, permitting the fluid (to flow out of the cylinder 23 throughrthezhosezfl into the port '52 and out the exhaustzportz63rinto the hose 64 back to'the reseravoir B5. A reliefzzvalve B6 is provided for bypassing itheifiuidnzhile theplungers 5B :are in position-for by the vertical shaft action to take place.

:possible. restrictedexcept in so far as is necessitated by -mally held in the position illustrated in neutral 'by the action of the centering springs 12. .moving theplunger in the direction of the arrow hydraulic fluid under pressure will be delivered by theflexible tubing into the port 51, through the cutaway portion 13, and thence out of the port 14 through flexible tubing 15 to the cylinder 32, thus rotating the bracket 1 in the direction of the arrow, Figure 9, together with the boom 2,

referring to Figure 2.

By allowing the plunger '51 to return to the position-shown, the position of the boom will be held by the trapped hydraulic fluid within the cylinder 32 and'the hos line 15. The hydraulic fluid located in the opposite end of the cylinder 32 from that which the hydraulic fluid entered against the piston is released or exhausted by way of the hose line 16, port 15A, out the port-53 by way of the cross port 11 of the plunger '61, permitting the movement of the piston within the cylinder 32.

When the handle 58 is moved in the opposite direction, the plunger-'61 will be moved in the opposite direction of the arrow, permitting the hydraulic fluid pumped through the hose line 55 into the port :51 to follow the cross port 18 through the cutaway portion "13 of the plunger :61 into the port 15A and flow through the hose line 16 into the end 19 of the cylinder 32 forcing .the piston in the opposite direction, thus exhausting the fluid out through the end .80 of the cylinder into th hose line 15 from where it flows into the bypass port 8| through the cutaway 11 of the plunger 61 into the cross port Y82, and out through port 63 and the exhaust line 64 to the reservoir 65. The operationof the cylinders31 is identical to that of the cylinder32 for revolving the boom l6 about the vertical shaft I3.

Asexplained above the piston rods 31A of the .cylinders31 are fixedly secured to the chain40 at 40A and due to the fact that the ring gear 4| is held stationary and prevented from rotating l3, when the piston rods 31A are caused tormove in either direction it will rotate the boom is about the vertical shaft l3. Theaidlergear .42 idling or rotating permits this The universal arrangement of the gear 4| will allow for the angle between the vertical. shaft |3 and'the vertical shaft :2| 'in'the raising and lowering of the boom l6.

,Althoughacertain specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are Theinventionytherefore, is not to be ber=for 'pivotally'mountingthe outermost one of said linkages on the most boom structure as a to thereby the desired operatively unit about said vertical axis horizontally locate the platform in Working position, and power means connected between said outermost 3. An adjustable boom structure comprising a plurality of sequentially contiguous parallelogram linkages having a common vertical member nected to said common vertical member and a second portion connected to the outermost of -means supporting the said platform from the free end of the outermost one of said linkages, presmovements of said parallelograms relative to each other.

ment therewith, a freely rotatable second sprocket supported by said outermost linkage, an endless chain trained around said sprockets, and means for turning said chain.

6. An articulated support for platforms coming and traversing movements relatively thereto and said secondary boom being pivotally mounted upon said relatively thereto, means fecting an movements of said primary boom upon and relatively to said mobile base, and means for inde- 7. An articulated support for comprising a mobile base, a

aerial platforms, pedestal rigidly i7 mountedupon saidfbaserada'acent'ione end'there- 'iQf, .anaerial platform 'for :a worker, means ineluding primary and secondary booms arranged in tandemrelation for isupporting said aerial platform from and in offset relation to said mobile base, said primary boom beingpivotally mounted upon said pedestal for tiltingand traversing' movements relativel thereto horizontal and vertical planes and said secondary :boom

being pivotally mountedupon" said primary boom for similar movements relatively thereto,.means for independently efiecting and controlling the -,tilting and traversing movements of-said. primary vboom .upon and relatively to said pedestalpand .--means i or similarly effecting and controlling the tilting and traversing movementsof saidsecondv:ary .boom upon and relatively to said primary -.boom.

:8. In an articulated support for,platforms,=the combination of apluralityof parallelogram type .booms, articulated'endto end-and connected for pivotal mov ement both vertically and horizontallyrelatively to each othenand means for independently effecting vertical and horizontal 5 pivoting of said .booms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 10 1,026,380 1,761,726 2,391,224 2,450,152 2,484,709 15 2,500,815

Number Great Britain 1913 

